What ended your honeymoon?

Nurses New Nurse

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They say that new nurses go through 'reality shock' after the 'honeymoon' phase (excitement of graduating and becoming a nurse). I'd like to hear your stories about what it was that put the brakes on your honeymoon.

Also,

I'm a nursing student in an RN program, and I graduate this December. I'm taking a summer Trends course and have to interview an RN who graduated 6 to 12 months ago. I have a total of only 9 questions prepared, so if anyone is interested in assisting me with this I'd greatly appreciate it... send me a private message and we can take it from there.

Actually my honeymoon ended just last night and I thought of this post.

I justed my new job on a med-surg floor about 2 weeks ago and I've been slowing trying to increase my patience load. Last night I was ready to prove I could take care of 4 patients with min. help from my preceptor. I failed miserby, by the end of the shift I had 2.

One patient desatted on me so quickly that in the space of two hours he went from stable to an ICU bed. Luckily, my preceptor stayed with him while I got the meds for the rest of the patients taken care of. I feel like I should have found a way to do both.

Another patient, who was quite young (in his 20s), was OK until his family showed up. I got called into the med room by the unit manager and was told they no longer wanted me to take care of him. Apparently they wanted a nurse with more experience. That was humilating. I was almost...heck no almost, I was in tears. In front of my unit manager. Which didn't help. She gave me a few moments to pull myself together and everyone else on the unit was really supportive but I felt imcompetnent the rest of the shift.

On a good note, the wife of the man we sent to ICU brought us chocolates later that night, telling us he was impressed by our nursing care and how quickly we responded. But then, since I was passing meds, I felt she wasn't talking about me. But maybe I'm being too hard on myself.

I keep thinking however, if this happeans with 4 patients, how am I going to handle 5-6?

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Specializes in Utilization Management.
Actually my honeymoon ended just last night and I thought of this post.

I justed my new job on a med-surg floor about 2 weeks ago and I've been slowing trying to increase my patience load. Last night I was ready to prove I could take care of 4 patients with min. help from my preceptor. I failed miserby, by the end of the shift I had 2.

One patient desatted on me so quickly that in the space of two hours he went from stable to an ICU bed. Luckily, my preceptor stayed with him while I got the meds for the rest of the patients taken care of. I feel like I should have found a way to do both.

Another patient, who was quite young (in his 20s), was OK until his family showed up. I got called into the med room by the unit manager and was told they no longer wanted me to take care of him. Apparently they wanted a nurse with more experience. That was humilating. I was almost...heck no almost, I was in tears. In front of my unit manager. Which didn't help. She gave me a few moments to pull myself together and everyone else on the unit was really supportive but I felt imcompetnent the rest of the shift.

On a good note, the wife of the man we sent to ICU brought us chocolates later that night, telling us he was impressed by our nursing care and how quickly we responded. But then, since I was passing meds, I felt she wasn't talking about me. But maybe I'm being too hard on myself.

I keep thinking however, if this happeans with 4 patients, how am I going to handle 5-6?

OK, I'll say it: Yes, you ARE being too hard on yourself!

I don't know what it's like to work on your unit, but on ours (Tele), if someone desats, at least three or four other nurses get to that room stat, along with the RT. Charge Nurse and AOD are also involved if it looks like we might have an ICU transfer, possible Code, or resp. failure patient.

While one or two nurses go through the chart to get as much info on the patient as possible, the RT stands ready for an ABG order, and another nurse will go get a couple of vials of Lasix (just in case), and one will stay at the bedside, comfort the patient, and get vitals.

Another nurse and a tech are monitoring the lights, other patients, and we have a monitor tech who is basically covering it all, along with making phone calls.

So in any emergent problem on the unit, everyone pitches in. Everyone has a role. Everyone's role is VITAL to the patients. It is possible to have more than one crashing patient at one time on a unit, and you, passing meds, don't realize it, but as you were going along, you were using your skills and training by assessing those patients visually as you passed your meds.

Any Code or near-Code (which is what I'll call your resp. failure patient) STILL throws the entire shift off-balance for everyone, even when we work as a team like that, and we've been doing this for YEARS.

As far as the twenty-year-old goes, who knows? Maybe he felt uncomfortable because you were a little too close in age, maybe a whole bunch of things. Be a duck. Let that one roll off. They never said that you were doing anything inappropriately or incorrectly. Lots of patients think that the longer you're a nurse, the better you'll be, but look at the true picture--the respiratory failure patient lived because you were his nurse and you did a proper assessment of his problem.

Good job, pendragon! :balloons:

You didn't "fail"--you are gaining experience and wisdom. This is not a contest in which you emerge the winner. This is a duel in which the nurse battles Death for the prize of the patient's life--and the patient is the winner.

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Specializes in Utilization Management.

Oh, almost forgot!

What ended my honeymoon was that I had the meanest nurse in the world following me, and instead of teaching me, she completely mocked and ridiculed me in Report--every single doggoned day. (She was new too, but she had lots of clinical experience compared to me.)

My self-confidence was so shot and I was such a nervous wreck by the time I finally left that job, I swore I would never work Med-Surg again. I also promised myself that I would TEACH newbies, not eat 'em. ;)

I worked at a couple of different hospitals before I ended up here in Tele. A few times, they floated me to MS and "the little birds" tell me that they love me over there! So go figure. :confused:

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Specializes in ER.

I agree with Angie. One patient that dumps out unexpectedly and you feel like you are recovering from it for the rest of the shift. Everyone has to do what they can to keep the rest of the unit from falling apart, and that includes keeping the rest of the patients from falling out of bed, or going into CHF, or having a clear hissy because their 9pm med was late.

Some of the very worst shifts I've had in the ER have started with a sick patient that we all handle well, but then someone in the waiting room freaks out because they've been waiting with their cold for 2 hours. It doesn't matter at that point that we were right, I still feel like no matter how hard I work no one will be happy. I haven't found the answer, but rest assured that you aren't the only one. Gallows humor helps, but make sure that guy waiting 2 hours doesn't hear you laughing. God forbid anyone take a break when his nose is running. :(

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Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.
Some of the very worst shifts I've had in the ER have started with a sick patient that we all handle well, but then someone in the waiting room freaks out because they've been waiting with their cold for 2 hours. It doesn't matter at that point that we were right, I still feel like no matter how hard I work no one will be happy. I haven't found the answer, but rest assured that you aren't the only one. Gallows humor helps, but make sure that guy waiting 2 hours doesn't hear you laughing. God forbid anyone take a break when his nose is running. :(

Thank you ... I needed to hear that!

I've learned not to quickly get a soda from the waiting room vending machine, because a comment was made "if that nurse can come out here and get a soda then I shouldn't have to wait!!" (to be seen for my 1-day hx of a cough, no fever, no chest pain ...) Never mind that I just worked a trauma, and the diet Coke is my breakfast & lunch. Never mind that even IF you were next to be seen, there is no BED to put you in right now. :stone

Life goes on ...

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Specializes in Med Surg, Telemetry, Orthopedics.

My honeymoon was over about 8 months into my career - I had a baby, was working F/T night shift, falling asleep at home while trying to take care of my son. He finally rolled off the bed while we were napping - I tried to cut my hours to part time for his safety, and I was told "No" because I didn't have a full year's experience!! I loved my job - all the nurses on the unit except 2 signed a petition to try to keep me (& the two that didn't were LPNs & afraid they would lose their jobs to begin with).

I think what happened was, my supervisor (who walked around in high heels & suits all day and hadn't done bedside nursing in 20 years) had offered me a job on her unit (Post-partum) where I had worked as an aide. I turned it down to work on a GYN Onc unit - which ticked her off. When she took over the GYN Onc floor, she had her chance to exert her power.

What a witch! Proof to me that nurses eat their young. I haven't found a job a enjoy as much since!

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am I sensing that the younger you are as a new nurse the harder it must be or at least feel? I am going to be 35 ( an young 35...hee hee) this next month and I start my first job Monday the 10th. I have to say that mean nurses aren't really scaring me at the moment (maybe denial?) anyways I wonder how much of that is just plain maturity in age? I have been around the block and seen a lot and don't get my joy from other people. I wonder if tha is why everyone keeps asking me why I am not nervous?

anyone else not in there 20's feeling like this?

AmyD RN

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Specializes in Med Surg, Telemetry, Orthopedics.

I have to say that mean nurses aren't really scaring me at the moment (maybe denial?) anyways I wonder how much of that is just plain maturity in age? AmyD RN

Yes, I do think that helps, however beware the boss that has it out for you! I took a job several years ago and someone told me that my new boss "could ruin your career". Well, I thought that was a bunch of crap, until I saw it for myself. I left a year later, since I wasn't willing to play the game. Just be careful and good luck!

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Well I have been in contact with the HR person, ER floor mgr, 2 clinical supers and a floor super. They are all so far really nice and so helpful with all my mundane questions about orientation and such. Who else would be "my" boss?

AmyD

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Specializes in OB, lactation.
am I sensing that the younger you are as a new nurse the harder it must be or at least feel? I am going to be 35 ( an young 35...hee hee) this next month and I start my first job Monday the 10th. I have to say that mean nurses aren't really scaring me at the moment (maybe denial?) anyways I wonder how much of that is just plain maturity in age? I have been around the block and seen a lot and don't get my joy from other people. I wonder if tha is why everyone keeps asking me why I am not nervous?

anyone else not in there 20's feeling like this?

AmyD RN

Through school I have had the same experience in general. We have probably developed a little thicker skin over time - I know for sure that nursing school would have been an entirely different experience for me personally in my early 20's than it was now. A confidence thing for the most part for me.

Hey, I start my first nursing job the 10th too... LOL... I hope we won't be back crying a different tune in a week!

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Specializes in Med Surg, Telemetry, Orthopedics.
Well I have been in contact with the HR person, ER floor mgr, 2 clinical supers and a floor super. They are all so far really nice and so helpful with all my mundane questions about orientation and such. Who else would be "my" boss?

AmyD

Well, hopefully you found a good place to be! Enjoy!

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Through school I have had the same experience in general. We have probably developed a little thicker skin over time - I know for sure that nursing school would have been an entirely different experience for me personally in my early 20's than it was now. A confidence thing for the most part for me.

Hey, I start my first nursing job the 10th too... LOL... I hope we won't be back crying a different tune in a week!

yes I want to be one of the ones who sings praises for sure, but who doesnt? LOL

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